Fleming: Enjoying the various calls of frogs

Florida, during the summer months, is hot and humid to the point of being unbearable if you have been raised in an air conditioned environment. Most modern homes are now built with central heat and air. This is a shame in one respect, because the windows and doors are closed during the majority of the year. That means many folks miss out on hearing the early morning bird songs and the evening frog chorus.

Recent rains have increased the chances of true frogs being heard in the neighborhood. Some frogs breed in the spring while others are more active during these early summer showers. Although true aquatic frogs (American bull frog, river frog, and pig frog for example) spend the majority of their time in water, other species look for those wet habitats only during their breeding season.

These recent showers brought a great deal of activity to our little acreage. We have a true pond at the upper end of the woods, but we also have drainage ditches down both sides of the property and a boggy bottom near the marsh.

I began noticing the different calls while sitting on the patio in my new “retirement” rocking chair. The amphibious paramours were vocalizing their intentions to prospective mates. I would be the first to admit I am not an expert when it comes to identifying the various species’ calls. Other than the pig frog and the bullfrog, many of the remainder would go unidentified if I had to go only by sound instead of sight.

One of my favorite frogs, however, is the Southern Leopard frog (think spots). It is considered to be the most abundant frog species in Florida and is one of the few frogs able to colonize brackish coastal waters. The males call while floating in the water and the call sounds like what you would hear if you rubbed a finger over the wet surface of a balloon. Other sounds are like quiet chuckles or cackles.

While some species of frogs may lay their eggs in small clusters, others may lay as many as 1000 eggs in a large mass. In a few days, the tadpoles hatch out and begin the process of survival, trying to avoid the many predators in the system. Soon, their legs will begin to form and they will be well on their way to becoming adults when their voices will be added to next year’s beautiful chorus.